Compared to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, India responded well to the December 26 tsunami by providing rescue and relief services within 48 hours, according to a survey undertaken by an international organisation.

However, life for tsunami victims in all these countries is far from normal even almost a year after the tragedy, said the survey report released by Fritz Institute, a US-based non-profit organisation dedicated to addressing complex operational challenges in the delivery of humanitarian aid to people and communities in need.

The Institute commissioned two studies on affected families who had been receiving aid and assistance in all tsunami-hit districts in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In India alone, the study targeted 1,000 people from 93 villages in 12 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

While Indonesians reported low levels of satisfaction with food, water, clothing and medical care provided within the first 48 hours and Sri Lankans rated them as adequate, the respondents in India reported above average satisfaction with all the services.

In the first 60 days relief efforts, the satisfaction levels across the three countries moved closer to one another, it added.

According to the findings, there were variations across the three countries in the role played by the government and NGOs in livelihood restoration programmes and shelter provision. However, no provider was rated as above average for livelihood restoration, it said.

While Indonesians and Sri Lankans rated international NGOs as first among providers of livelihood programmes, India ranked the government slightly above the others.

For shelter provision, Indonesia and Sri Lanka ranked international NGOs highest, while government, international and local NGOs were rated adequate by Indian respondents.

The Fritz Institute conducted the first study 'Lessons from the Tsunami: Top Line Findings' three months after the disaster, to probe beneficiary perceptions of the effectiveness of aid in the first 48 hours and further during the first 60 days.

The second study 'Recipient Perceptions of Aid Effectiveness: Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation in Tsunami Affected India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia' was conducted nine months after tsunami.